Is Crossbow Hunting Right For Your Family?

There’s many reasons that might drive a household or family to consider taking up hunting as an activity. For some, it’s a chance to spend time together all doing the same activity. For others, it’s a chance to get everyone outdoors and into nature. The ability to teach kids survival skills is a plus for many parents, and a few just like knowing that they can hunt and secure their own food, should there ever be a scarcity in the future or economic upheaval. Even in a rich, stable nation, a disaster can temporarily disrupt food supply.

After the decision has been made to take up hunting, the next choice is how the hunting should be done. Rifles and firearms are often what hunters pick, but a number of individuals are actually turning to the crossbow as their weapon of choice.

This is not shocking given the explosion in the popularity of archery lately. While Jennifer Lawrence’s character of Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games” books and movies did not use a crossbow, per se, her use of bow and arrow inspired many young people, particularly girls and young women, into taking up archery. Another fictional element that is boosting the growth of archery is the killer crossbow-using Darryl from “The Walking Dead” post-apocalyptic zombie show on AMC.

The crossbow appeals to many parents because it is relatively safer than firearms. Children can be taught to use it at an earlier age, and practice can often take place in any backyard without needing access to a firing range.

Also, in most jurisdictions, owning a crossbow is not illegal. Nor do these weapons come with anywhere near the registration and ownership regulations and laws that guns do.

Another tremendous benefit of crossbows is that they are far cheaper than firearms, and as long as arrows are recovered, there’s no recurring expense for ammunition. That makes them a very budget-friendly way to hunt. Finding the best one is just a matter of going to Wessel Sports for a few tips.

After all the obvious practice and purchase benefits, there are also advantages to hunting with a crossbow. The much lower standards and level of restrictions means that hunting can happen with these weapons in far more places and locations then firearms, although you still need to check for local or state rules. Also, younger members of the family can often hunt longer, as their crossbows are likely to be lighter to carry than hunting rifles.

When it is time for an actual shot, crossbows make far less noise than hunting rifles, so they scare off far fewer animals. That means the next potential kill can be set up faster than one bullet shot emptying a valley for the next hour or so.

As mentioned earlier, the reasons why a family might take up crossbow hunting can range from a desire to get together outdoors to actually teaching kids how to survive in the woods on their own. Whatever your household’s motivation might be, consider all these reasons why crossbow hunting might be preferable to firearms.